Transparency
by dreamingwiththemoon
Summary: Because you can never truly see through someone until they're broken.


Okay, so this is another story that has been annoying me for ages. It has some spoilers, but not that many.

**Rated: **M

**Pairings:** Sasuke**x**Naruto

**Setting**: Ninjaverse

**Disclaimer:** Nothing of Naruto, nor Naruto Shippuden, belongs to me.

Please tell me what you think! I would appreciate it greatly.

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**Transparency**

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Naruto sighed dramatically, plucking dirt from beneath his index finger with his thumb that he couldn't quite get with his hand-made nail filer. He couldn't understand why he was being cooped up; well, actually he could, but still! Yamato and Kakashi should know that Naruto Uzumaki cannot suffice alone in small areas. He just couldn't, he needed human interaction like some people needed sex, and that was a lot.

He wanted to see Sasuke, and he knew that his long lost best friend was near. Not within seeing distance, but given the fact the Kyuubi had enhanced Naruto's abilities (which included chakra sensing), he knew that the teen couldn't be more than two-hundred miles away. That thought alone made his stomach butterfly in anticipation. No matter what anyone said, Sasuke was Sasuke, damn it, and he was going to prove that fact, not opinion, one way or another. With an annoyed huff, the blond turned over on his cot and began his brooding session.

Not even thirty minutes into his zone, Naruto's ear twitched slightly. Heaving himself up and moving as far out as his ankle chains could allow him, Naruto pressed his face in between the cell bars. "Yamato-taicho?" he yelled, hoping to get an affirmative, and a release. A jingle of keys made hope swell into the pit of his stomach, and seeing the tell-tale haunting eyes made the jinchuuriki leap with joy.

"Yamato-taicho! Let me out!" he ordered, while said man shuffled himself sluggishly across the smooth wooden floor of the makeshift house. Dragging his eyes towards his subordinate, Yamato cocked an eyebrow, "What makes you think there is a difference between my answer of_ no_ thirty minutes ago, and my answer of _no_ now?" he asked stiffly causing the teen before him to release a sheepish laugh.

"Um, how about a change of heart?" a tanned hand wormed its way towards a tanned neck, and started to rub nervously.

Scoffing at the teen's ridiculous reasoning, the ANBU captain plopped himself unceremoniously onto the floor, causing a rush of air to escape his lungs. Brown eyes regarded their prisoner with remorse. "Naruto, you know we have to do this. We can't just let you run off and let yourself get killed from trying to protect a lost cause!" Yamato wasn't angry at the boy, but he was getting just a little annoyed at the teen's persistence. Most children didn't have as much persistence in them as Naruto, and that's saying something.

Naruto's thoughts turned angry. "Sasuke isn't a fucking lost-cause. He is just misguided! We all can lose our way!" he snapped harshly, but Yamato didn't regard him as if he said anything at all. That was another thing Naruto hated, ignorance.

But he continued his mini-rant, "Besides, what makes you think Sakura, Kiba, and Sai are more qualified than me, anyway?" It wasn't as if he were degrading their abilities, but fuck, he knew he was stronger than them and it pained him that Kakashi had tossed him aside as if nothing but a flick of dust.

Steely blue eyes bored into rich brown, as if goading a staring contest. But Yamato relented, he wasn't that childish, despite popular beliefs. Getting up from his almost comfortable spot of the floor, the brunette stood up and motioned for Naruto to settled down and sit inside the cage. He didn't want to argue with the blond, but some assertion is needed every once and a while. Grabbing a cold black metal bar, Yamato braced himself on the cell. He was exhausted from his previous mission and the anxiety of trying to control Naruto's demon.

"Naruto, do you remember what happened just a day ago?" he asked softly, knowing it may be a sensitive topic for the boy. Hell, it was a sensitive topic for everyone of Konoha. Naruto tensed inside the cell, and seemed to burrow himself into his hands. He knew that of course, people would question him about the Kyuubi outbreak, but using it against him was not something he expected. At all. Well at least from Yamato. He hung his head deeper in shame.

"But I regained control, I didn't let it control me!" he tried. Yamato still shook his head, "But the fact that you lost it, Naruto, is the problem. We can't let you reach nine tails, without your voluntary conscious. The Kyuubi is -"

Naruto waved his hand in dismissal, finally having heard of enough of his team captain's lecture. He knew the demon was dangerous, because the damned thing lived in him! It would be pathetically sad if he did not notice the fox's demonic aura inside him. That would be the real worry. He didn't need to keep hearing the same mantra every day of his week. The fact had embedded itself in his brain when he was thirteen.

Enough was enough. Besides, his father had sealed him back, which had hurt like a bitch. Without another word, Naruto hastily slipped onto his cot, his back facing Yamato. Hopefully, the ANBU would take the blunt hint that the blond wanted the subject dropped. Naruto was had already formed a back up plan inside his head, anyway. When the ninja heard his team member's silent footsteps fade, he knew it was time to work.

Grabbing his nearly forgotten nail filer, Naruto gripped it tightly and pushed his ear to the wooden floor; and started knocking softly. Snickering, he reminisced about the D ranked mission Team 7 had to do as genin that required to find hollows in wooden walls. The blond sighed, that stupid cat lady didn't even deserve a pet, losing the poor thing twenty-four seven. Genin mission really did pay off in the future, though Naruto still classified Kakashi as a porn obsessed shitty jounin.

When he heard a soft echo in one particular part of the floor, the rambunctious teen stabbed the sharp metal object to the floor, and watched as the pieces broke apart and formed a dusty pile. Smirking deviously, the blond threw the crime weapon to the side and jumped into the hole. Only one thought seemed to cross the ninjas mind at that second. It was a thought he had been repeating for three years.

_I'm coming for you, Sasuke._

But this time, it was real.

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Maybe, Naruto should have thought of the current whether before making his great escape. Snow covered tree tops led from the mouth and beyond the forest. The wind was a little strong and he certainly was not dressed for the occasion, considering the fact all he had on was a spare pair of Sai's ANBU pants and standard ninja sandals. He knew he should have have asked someone to do his laundry, but most likely they would have declined due to the fact that orange was eye sore of a color, and it wouldnt kill him to switch it up every now and then. Whatever, orange kicked every thing's ass hands down. Shaking the useless thoughts off, Naruto started to sprint into the forest, activating his Sage Mode in the forest.

Feeling the power swell throughout his system, the whiskered teen moved on pure determination alone, dodging traps and bombs as if second nature. He could practically feel Sasuke's chakra in the air, along with Kakashi's. _That's my fight, damn it!_ He growled. Everyone knew Sasuke was supposed to be left to him. It was "fate"or whatever the fuck his perverted teacher called it. Though Naruto still believed he could still break the fate, while literally every one else had given up all hope. Except Itachi Uchiha.

He'd always been curious about what the elder Uchiha looked and acted like during his genin years. His first meeting with Itachi wasn't really at meeting. You don't really meet someone until you've had a steady conversation with them. A steady conversation did not consist of the act of trying to kidnap and kill someone, going by Naruto's standards. The second time he met Itachi, he didn't even really met Itachi. The freak made some rougue ninja his puppet. How he did it still confused Naruto to this day. Now his third meeting with Itachi, struck something inside him.

he had stood face to face with the man, he didn't feel scared at all. Despite being angry as hell for the traitor who caused his best friend to lose his senses, he felt calm around the man. An eerie calm. He hadn't tried to attack Naruto like Sasuke would have, no, he wasn't brash like Sasuke. But beyond all of that, Naruto knew there wasn't something right with the Uchiha. When he had told Naruto he believed in him, and gave him power, he knew something was wrong at that moment. Something didn't click.

When he had heard the truth from Tobi about the Uchiha Massacre, his heart immediately dropped. How could someone live with such a weight of guilt on their shoulders? Such a tormented conscious? He was infuriated at elders, for making the Uchiha's life such a literal hell. The man was innocent, and he had lived a whole different life than those around him. One little secret kept Itachi's world just another shade darker than everyone else's. It sickened him. But, he had to but his thoughts of that matter aside. Sasuke came first. Sasuke always came first.

He was almost there, to where Team 7 was at. He could feel Sasuke's chakra, though it sent a chilling shiver down his spine. _His chakra has never been this ominous before,_ he thought sullenly. While during their childhood, Sasuke's chakra was never quite "good" either. But most of the time thoughts of his brother were in the back of his mind, and beating Naruto to the ground stood front and center. But the blond liked it that way, he and Sasuke's fights were part of their friendship. That, and the loneliness that they both shared. It was the epitome of their bond.

Naruto felt his Sage chakra dissipating rapidly, and he knew he had to make it last. With one last charge towards his feet, Naruto sped off towards the clearing was coming closer and closer into his view.

And then he saw it.

Sasuke.

And Sakura.

Sasuke had Sakura dead-locked in his grip, a kunai steadily heading for her throat. From what Naruto could see, Sasuke didn't give a damn what he was about to do. He didn't give a flying fuck that he was about to kill his team mate. Pure red anger seared throughout his body. He wouldn't allow this to any longer. He just couldn't. Not even thinking about where the gray-haired jounin was, Naruto dashed across the steady stream across the forest floor, snatching Sakura from the prodigy's grip.

Sakura yelped in surprise and fear, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. Naruto knew she was staring at him, but his eyes were only on the missing-nin before him. The blond barely felt the tip of the kunai graze his cheek, nor the blood that had slowly leaked from the wound. He didn't care about that though. He didnt care if it contained a poison that would make him drop dead in a minute, because no pain could ever compare to the pain of what he witnessed.

"Naruto...," a small voice breeched the icy silence of the atmosphere.

Blue eyes gaged themselves with emerald, not breaking contact even as he placed his team mate on to the snow. "I'm...I'm so sorry..." Sakura trailed off, still looking dazed. Naruto sighed, he didn't want her apology at the moment. Though she wouldn't be in this predicament if she hadn't decided to be a headstrong kunoichi at this moment in time. She should have saved that for another time.

Naruto looked back in time to see Kakashi punch Sasuke in his solar plexus, causing the said teen to fly back into the brick bridge above the lake.

Placing her gently on a small patch of grass, he smiled grimly. "It's not your fault, Sakura. I know you were doing what you thought was best." With that, he turned away from the rosette, and headed to where Kakashi stood, still possibly shell-shocked. The blond wrapped his arms around his bare chest, and tried to control his rapidly chattering teeth. The blond saw how rapidly the copy-nin's Sharingan was spinning, meaning he had been fighting with Sasuke.

"Your timing couldnt have been any better than mine, Naruto." his sensei remarked tiredly. He could tell Kakashi was worn out; his clothes were torn, his mask was on it's last thread, and he was gasping for breath. But Naruto barely gave the comment a second thought, instead he was glaring heatedly at the raven in the distance.

"Sasuke..." he started, unsure what to say. "You and Sakura are both members of Team 7."

Sasuke picked himself up from the puddle of water, and padded softly closer over to his former team mates, giving Naruto the same hard glare. "Former member, in my case." he corrected harshly. But Naruto didn't waver. Instead he crossed his arms in his usual defiant manor, silently demanding a better explanation than that.

Naruto felt Kakashi shift from beside him, and felt a hand place itself onto his shoulder. He glanced up at Kakashi. "You must realize now...Naruto. He is not the Sasuke you once knew." Naruto sighed. He was so tired of hearing those words repeated over, and over, and over again. Even Gaara had said them to him. Everyone changes. Hell, even he had changed. Nothing can stay the same forever.

He turned his attention back to Sasuke. The bleeding from must have became more prominent, because Naruto hadn't notice it before. The blond wracked his brain for something to say, anything to say, because he needed to talk to Sasuke. He needed Sasuke to talk to him. Even if it was not a pleasant one.

And idea formed in his head.

"I heard the truth about Itachi fromTobi," the statement causing him to earn incredulous looks from everyone. "I understand what you're doing." The air stilled for a moment. The snow stopped snowing. Sasuke bellowed, "_Understand_? You have been alone all your life! How could you possibly understand?"

Hurt showed itself on Naruto's for a second, but he masked his features back. He should have known Sasuke would retort with something pertaining towards his orphanhood. He should have been prepared for it, but he wasn't. He was about to say something when Sakura intervened, standing up from her spot on the ground. Blue eyes examined the kunoichi beside them, and she looked furious.

"How could say such a thing, Sasuke? Do you know how Naruto _feels_ about you? Even after all the rumors we heard, he still considered you a friend! He has never given up on you. Even now," though on the last part, even Sakura herself didn't sound too sure. But he was sure, he still believed in Sasuke. It was always going to be that way.

Sasuke looked down, had decided to seemingly ignore her words. "I finally got my first bit of revenge for Itachi. I have killed the one named Danzo." Sasuke started to laugh, and Naruto flinched. It wasn't a laugh like the one Sasuke used to make when Naruto did something idiotic during their genin years, no, it was dark. Tormented. Tortured.

Sasuke flailed his hands in the air, ''It's like the disgraced of the Uchiha clan is being cleansed! I've never felt anything like it before! By severing those bonds, we will be purified! That will be the _true_ revival of the Uchiha clan!"

Naruto couldn't stand it. He couldn't _stand _to see Sasuke like this any longer. Without making any comments, he formed the appropriate seals for Kage Bunshin, causing two clones to flank his sides. He nodded knowing at them both, all three knew what the plan was. Extending both of his hands to his clones, Naruto felt the chakra gather into his palms. He was going to end this. Just about when he was about to dispell the jutsu, Kakashi stepped forward, placing an arm across Naruto's chest. Confusion swept across tanned features.

"What the hell, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto snapped angrily. He really wasn't going to stand for being interrupted. First, everyone complained about him protecting Sasuke, now the time comes were he doesn't want to, and then he cant? People needed to make up their minds.

"This is my job, Naruto." Kakashi said,causing blond eyebrows to shoot up. "You two get out of here." He motioned to Naruto and Sakura. Anger surged itself through the jinchuuriki once again. Kakashi wasn't stealing his fight. He had had his fun when Naruto wasn't there, but now its over. With determination, Naruto ordered his clones restrain his sensei, and instead he formed his Rasengan. Adding chakra to his feet, Naruto charged towards Sasuke, and Sasuke charged towards Naruto, handling his trademark Chidori.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

_Sasuke...You and I...we're opposites._

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

A wave of deja vu hit Naruto like a tidal wave, and suddenly his world shifted.

_The background was snow white, and Sasuke stood in front of him, still and emotionless. Naruto knew Sasuke wouldn't let him talk solo for long, so he started._

"_You know, how everyone in the village hated me...they hated me because of the Kyuubi, and I hated them all, too."_

"_One misstep, and maybe I would have come to the same horrible conclusion as you did. I thought I had no connections with anyone. Until I met you and Iruka-sensei." He scratched the back of his back of his head sheepishly, smiling. "I knew you were always alone. And I was relieved there was someone else like me, I wanted to talk to you right away..."_

_Naruto sighed nervously, running his hand threw his long blond locks, and swished away his shaggy bangs covering his nose and eyes. _"_But I didnt. I was jealous because you could do anything, so I decided you'd be my rival!" _

_A huge grin announced itself across Naruto, "I'm glad I met you." he announced, eyes shut._

_Sasuke's response was highly anticipated, "Naruto, nothing you can say can change my mind now! I am going to kill you and everyone in the village! Your only choices are to kill me and become the hero who protects the village, or be just another loser that I kill!" he snapped coldly. Though Sasuke's voice portrayed a different story, Naruto could tell by the porcelain face that the teen had calmed down enormously._

_Naruto sighed,a deep frown replacing his once bright smile. He knew it would come down to this. He had made his decision, like everyone had pleaded him to for the past three years. "I wont be a loser! And I'm not going to be the hero who kills you, either!"_

_With that, the illusion ended._

The two powerful jutsus clashed violently, the shock so strong that the ground shook violently. The blinding light made Naruto close his eyes, and the impact made him fly backwards. Luckily, Kakashicaught him in the midst of the blast, letting the jinchuuriki slam into his chest. The two of them flew into the shallow waters, while Sasuke flew into the bridge, once again. But this time he also had someone holding him. It looked like the Venus Fly trap ninja.

Naruto regained his composure, and began to glare at his rival. "Now I know," he whispered brokenly. _I know what I have to do now._ He released himself from Kakashi's grip. He called out to Sasuke, and watched as he communicated with, as he predicted, the white half of the Venus Fly trap. The Uchiha walked over to Naruto once again, but this time slower. He stopped himself when he was about fifteen meters away from the blond. Naruto opened his mouth, about to declare his decision, but Sasuke beat him to it. With a burning question.

"Why do you care about me so much, Naruto?" he whispered softly. Naruto wanted to answer, but was cut off again. "Why do you go so far for me, _huh_?" he screamed louder, temporarily startling the blond. Naruto wanted so badly to cock his eyebrow and ask _Really, Sasuke? _but decided against it. Being a smartass would not be the best thing to be in this point in time.

"Because we're friends!" he shouted, watching Sasuke's reaction. The said teen's eyes widened, mouth agape in unsuppressed shock. Though the blond couldn't quite figure out why, because for the past years hes been spouting the same reason every single time the question was presented to him. It was almost like a reflex by now. Naruto was about to walk towards his counterpart when something slammed him face down into the ground. Air bursted from his lungs, causing his chest to heave painfully.

A sandal smashed itself against his spine, causing him to cry out in pain. He started squirm uncontrollable, not knowing who his attacker was made his heart skip at frightening intervals. He knew it couldn't be Sasuke, he could see his sandals in front of him in the distance. Then who hell was on his back? He scrambled to try to flip himself over, but his attempts were in vain. "Get _off _me!" he yelled, causing his attacker to release a chuckle. It sounded familiar.

"Would you like that, Naruto? For me to get off on you?" the deep teasing voice asked. Naruto gasped, horrified. That really wasn't what he meant. The man grabbed both of Naruto's arms upward, causing him to stand up backwards into an unfamiliar chest. A thick clothed arm wrapped itself around a tanned neck, while a gloved hand slid its way down a tanned chiseled chest, and towards the Yondaime's seal.

The blonde squirmed uncomfortably in the strong grip, and all he could do is look forward. Look forward into terrorized coal eyes. "Madara?" Sasuke snarled, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped. An amused giggle whipped throughout the air, "Hey now, Sasuke. Little Naru here still refers to me as _Tobi_, you just ruined my surprise! You're such a spoiled sport" he chided.

Naruto still bored his eyes into Sasuke, a shocking revelation worked its way from his mouth, "Y-You set me up, Sasuke?" he asked, sounding mortifiedly betrayed . Out of all the things, he didn't think Sasuke would stoop so low as to trick him. That was a coward's technique. Sasuke wasn't a coward. Naruto knew that much. Sasuke shook his head vehemently, anger plastering itself on his face.

"You said you would let _me_ handle him!" he yelled angrily.

Madara scoffed, "And miss an opportunity like this? I knew you were a little naive, Sasuke, but this is just shameful. What would _Fugaku _say?" he teased. Sasuke went rigid. Naruto knew Sasuke's father name was Fugaku, and he also knew that he wasn't exactly his father's favorite when Itachi was in the picture. "Besides, didn't you complain to me about how much you needed him dead? Well, consider this, my gift to you, yes?"

Madara twisted Naruto's head just enough to let him see the masked man wink. Naruto cringed back in disgust. The seal flared in response to the blond's raging emotions. A warm glove rubbed the affected area lovingly. The tanned stomach twitched reflexively.

"Someone sensitive here, hmm?" Madara asked, rubbing the seal even harder. Naruto bit his lip. "Don't touch me!" he growled heatedly, trying to preserve what little dignity he had left. He silently wondered why the hell Kakashi hadn't made a move to save him. He thrashed violently in the hold, but it was still no use. Suddenly, pained flared in his stomach, and he doubled over. _"Gah!"_ he screeched, a more profound sharp pain stabbed through his body. It felt like someone's chakra, interrupting Kyuubi's. He could feel Kyuubi becoming restless.

"Can you feel that, Naruto?" Madara asked, "That is the power I have over you. The power to control you. It's quite amazing, is it not?" Hot and heavy pants poured from his mouth, he could taste the sour bile building in his throat.

"Stop!" Sasuke cried suddenly, shocking Naruto. Sasuke's Sharingan was spinning, and he started running towards Madara. More searing heat found its way to Naruto's seal, and he knew he was about to black out. A strong hand grabbed a blond head once again, and turned it towards a single spinning eye. It was hypnotic.

He was falling for it.

He had _fell _for it.

The edges of darkness were closing in on his eyes. He knew he was finished.

"Naruto! Don't you dare look at him in the eye!" Sasuke screamed, running towards them.

But it was too late.

Naruto had already faded to black.

**A/N:** There's probably some grammatical errors, but I'll fix those later.


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